Golf's Magic Number: I Now Pronounce You Mr. & Mrs. 59

By: Lindsay Hank

Earlier this month marked the 15th
anniversary of Annika Sorenstam’s historic 59.
The first and only woman to reach golf’s Holy Grail, Annika joined a
list of 20 other professional golfers to shoot 59 in a tour-sanctioned event. Since her fateful round in 2001, there have
been other women to post a 60, but in a sport where a single stroke separates
winners from runners-up, that’s close but no cigar. Annika takes “you go girl”
to a whole new level in my book.

The first professional to record
a 59 was Al Geiberger in the second round of the 1977 Danny Thomas Memphis
Classic. Starting on the 10th tee, he
tallied 11 birdies and an eagle to finish 13-under par for that round alone!

Recently, Jim Furyk shot 59 in the
second round of the 2013 BMW Championship at Conway Farms Golf Club. He made one bogey but added 11 birdies and an
eagle to become just the sixth man in PGA TOUR history to shoot golf’s magic
number.

Even on the senior tour shooting 59
isn’t out of the question. In 2014 at the age of 50, Kevin Sutherland poured in
12 birdies to post a 59 in the third
round of the Dick’s Sporting Goods Open. He even had a chance for a 57, but bogeyed the final hole (yep, 59 with an 18th-hole bogey). Sutherland’s front nine went
birdie-birdie-birdie-birdie-eagle-birdie-birdie-birdie-par (28) … not a bad way
to start the day.

The list of pros to shot 59 or better:

Kevin Sutherland: 59 – 2014 Dick’s Sporting
Goods Open

Jim Furyk: 59 – 2013 BMW Championship

Will Wilcox: 59 – 2013 Utah Championship

Russell Knox: 59 – 2013 Albertsons Boise Open

Jason Bohn: 58 – 2011 Bayer Championship

Ryo Ishikawa: 58 – 2010 The Crowns

Paul Goydos: 59 – 2010 John Deere Classic

Stuart Appleby: 59 – 2010 Greenbrier Classic

Martin Kaymer: 59 – 2006 Habsberg Classic

Adrien Mork: 59 – 2006 Tikida Hotels Agadir
Moroccan Classic

Jason Gore: 59 – 2005 Cox Classic

Phil Mickelson: 59 – 2004 PGA Grand Slam of Golf

Masahiro Kuramoto: 59 – 2003 Acom International

Annika Sorenstam: 59 – 2001 Standard Register
PING

David Gossett: 59 – 2000 PGA TOUR Q-School

Shigeki Maruyama: 58 – 2000 U.S. Open Qualifying

David Duval: 59 – 1999 Bob Hope Chrysler Classic

Notah Begay III: 59 – 1998 Dominion Open

Doug Dunakey: 59 – 1998 Miami Valley Open

Chip Beck: 59 – 1991 Las Vegas Invitational

Al Geiberger: 59 – 1977 Danny Thomas Memphis
Classic

I can say I’m part of the 59 Club
too, but not for 18 holes. I’ve shot 59
for nine holes, 10 and even 11 holes. Maybe
one day, in my retired years, I’ll make it to 14 holes before eclipsing the 59
mark.